[R-390] Panel meters

[Robert Moses]

Another way to avoid a 'bright spot' is to paint the inside of the meter 
enclosure white and then use a normally directional LED to illuminate 
the white insides of the meter case. A higher intensity LED may be in 
order to get the lighting level the way that you want.

Tisha Hayes wrote:

>To go about it in the way I am considering I would use a plastic bezel, sort
>of the same thickness as the plastic lid on a coffee can but translucent
>white so it diffuses the light evenly. I would print the dial face using a
>color laser printer on a very thin paper like vellum or onionskin.
>
>I have done similar things before with other meters but really need to buy a
>junker R-390A panel meter so I could experiment with how much room there is
>to work with.
>
>In modern times I will probably use a low intensity white LED and add a
>second set of connections on the case for the dial lamp connection. A dab of
>hot glue would hold the LED in place and provide illumination from behind
>the diffused plastic with enough distance so it does not leave a bright
>spot. You can do that with some of the LED's that have different lighting
>patterns.
>
>
>On Thu, Apr 21, 2011 at 12:45 PM, Dennis Wade
><sacramento.cyclist at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>  
>
>>I'd like to hear more about how one would add back lighting to a
>>meter; not just the '390A meters (hazardous material issues), but
>>backlighting meters in general.
>>
>>           Dennis
>>
>>On Thu, Apr 21, 2011 at 9:21 AM, Tisha Hayes <tisha.hayes at gmail.com>
>>wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>This may be blasphemous but I always wanted to change the panel meters
>>>      
>>>
>>from
>>    
>>
>>>white on black to black on white with some additional scaling.
>>>
>>>We have the JPEG and TIFF renderings of the panel meter faceplates but
>>>      
>>>
>>they
>>    
>>
>>>are very grainy looking
>>>
>>>I figured it I went with black on white I could laser print it in vellum
>>>paper and glue it to a translucent bezel. Remove the old, radioactive
>>>      
>>>
>>bezels
>>    
>>
>>>and add backlighting to the meters.
>>>
>>>Before someone gets all excited about me handling radioactive materials I
>>>used to be licensed to handle radioactive sources (Cobalt 60, Radium 226,
>>>Cesium 137, Americium 241, Polonium 210), including those that posed a
>>>threat of airborne contamination so I know the right steps, have the
>>>      
>>>
>>proper
>>    
>>
>>>clothing and respiratory protection and have the equipment to monitor for
>>>external contamination (alpha, beta,gamma).
>>>
>>>Definitely not something I would want to (or legally could) do for
>>>      
>>>
>>someone
>>    
>>
>>>else. The freaking NRC would be all over me if I went into the home
>>>      
>>>
>>business
>>    
>>
>>>of retrofitting radioactive panel meters or dial knobs.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Ms. Tisha Hayes/ AA4HA
>>>-
>>>*“If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their
>>>feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?”
>>>Steven Wright
>>>
>>>***
>>>______________________________________________________________
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>>>
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>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>
>>--
>>"If they trust you, it is an extraordinary privilege, and you simply
>>can't abuse it."
>>      - A. Alan Post  1914-2011.  California Legislative Analyst 1949-1977.
>>
>>-------------------------
>>Dennis L. Wade
>>KG6ZI
>>Carmichael, CA
>>
>>    
>>
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